• President Ruto on June 30 directed that over 1,000 Paybill numbers used for the collection of payments for government services be shut down within 90 days.
• "Provide a compliance status report by 5pm on August 8, 2023, on a comply and explain basis as per the template below," Cabinet Secretary Mercy Wanjau said.
Image: THE STAR
The government has moved forward the deadline for terminating all non-designated payment platforms and migrating to the designated Paybill number 222222 by Tuesday, August 8, 2023.
President William Ruto had in previous circulars set August 10, 2023 as the deadline.
But in a new circular issued on August 4, Secretary to the Cabinet Mercy Wanjau directed accounting officers across all ministries, State departments and agencies to transition to the government's single payment platform by the new deadline.
"In light of the foregoing, all ministries, state departments and state agencies are directed to terminate all remaining non-designated payment platforms and migrate to the designated Paybill number 222222 by August 8, 2023.
"Provide a compliance status report by 5pm on August 8, 2023, on a comply and explain basis as per the template below," Wanjau added.
Under the template, the state entities are expected to state the Paybill number they are using other than 22222, indicate whether it's deactivated or not, give reasons for non-deactivation if still active and proposed an action plan and timeline.
Similarly, all ministries, state departments and agencies are required to give a status update on the onboarding of all government services to e-Citizen ahead of the September 30, deadline.
e-Citizen is a platform that allows Kenyans to access government services such as the renewal of driving licenses, application of passports and business registration services.
"Submit a report of all services mapped out for onboarding onto the e-Citizen platform in your portfolio by 5pm on August 11, 2023, as per the template below," Wanjau said.
The template requires the accounting officers to describe the service being onboarded, the status of the process, reasons for delays if not yet onboarded and proposed action plans and timelines.
The cabinet secretary said the reports should be transmitted to the government via [email protected].
"It is further notified that accounting officers will be held personally responsible for the full discharge and compliance of the directives herein," she said.
President Ruto on June 30 directed that over 1,000 Paybill numbers used for the collection of payments for government services be shut down within 90 days.
Speaking when he unveiled the State's new digital services at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Ruto said the government could not account for some of the Paybill numbers used by various government agencies.
He said that all government services be onboarded onto e-Citizen and payments made through 222222 Paybill.
"There is a dedicated government pay channel, 222222. The expectation of the government is that all government revenue must now use the pay channel so that Treasury can have sight of every government service that is paid for," he said.
He said this way, Treasury will ensure money meant for a particular ministry goes to the respective ministry or agency and ensure the whole eco-system works.
"I'm going to be making an announcement here that in the next 90 days, all other Paybills must be shut down because we have a problem with some of the Paybills that we cannot account for. We have close to over 1,000 Paybills some of which we don't have sight of. They must now be closed," he said.